Handle-bar for bicycles.



PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

J. W. LEAVITT.

HANDLE BAR FOR BIGYGLES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 1, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

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W g I a I Mk THE NORRIS PETERS CD PHOTOLEFHO WAS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. LEAVITT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

HANDLE-BAR FOR BICYCLES.

JPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N o. '7 18,641, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed October 1, 1901. Serial No. 77,247. (No model) To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. LEAVITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Handle-Bars for Bicycles, of which the following is a specification, that will enable those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to handle-bars for bi-. cycles; and its principal objects are to provide an absolutely secure and rigid connection of the handle-bar to the forward extension and to admit of the bar being reversed in its attachment, so that the handles or grips may be dropped or raised without changing the angles at which they are presented to the rider.

The accompanying drawings show my invention in the form now preferred by me; but minor changes might be made in the details thereof without the exercise of invention by a skilful mechanic and without departing from the spirit of myinvention as set forth in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a handle-bar attached in accordance with my invention to the forward extension of a handle-bar stem or post. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of a portion of the handle-bar detached. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section across the handle-bar and through the post or stem, showing clearly the features of construction of the joint connection of bar to the forward extension. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a hanble-bar and stem constructed according to my invention, the full lines showing the bar in one of its positions with the handles or grips dropped or low down and the dotted lines its other or reversed position with the handles or grips raised, but standing at the same angles as in the lower positions.

In the drawings, A is the tubular handlebar post or stem having side slots at at its lower end, the bore being tapered at the bottom, as shown, and fitted with a conical plug 1), which is operated by a screw-bolt B to expand the slotted end of the stem and clamp it in the hollow steering-head on the frontwheel fork of a bicycle. From the upper end of the stem projects an arm or forward extension O, enlarged at its extremity to form a head a, in which is formed a semicircular recess or socket d of a size corresponding to the diameter of the central portion of the handlebar E, which rests in the recess. The central part of the handle-bar is made solid instead of tubular, as are its extremities,which extend outwardly and downwardly,with curvatures suitable to the requirement or taste of the maker, and terminate in rearwardlyextending portions, which'are provided with handles or grips e. Preferably the axes of these handles are slightlyinclined outwardly and downwardly, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The solid central portion of the bar is provided with a bolt-hole F, and at each side are formed fiat-bottomed recesses f. A bolt G passes through the hole F and through a flat washer 72, which is seated in the outer recess f, and then into a screw-threaded aperture g, formed in the forward extension of the stem. It may be observed that when the parts are in operative position, as shown in Fig. 4, the axis of the clamping-bolt practically coincides with the downward inclination of the grips or handles e, which lie in a plane different from but parallel to that of the bolt, so that no matter which way the handle-bar is applied to the extension,with the grips either dropped or raised, their inclination relatively to the rider is the same. In reversing the bar to raise or lower the grips the bolt G is backed out or loosened sufficiently so that the bar may be turned over on the axis of the bolt, thereby swinging the right-hand grip over to the left side and the left-hand grip over to the right side. As the inclination of the grips coincides with the angle or inclination of the bolt, these changes of position of the grips from left to right while it changes their elevations does not alter their inclinations relatively to the rider of the bicycle. The broadened head 0 on the forward extension and the socket therein adapted to snugly embrace the sides of the handle-bar, with the clampingbolt applied as shown, allows of a reversible bar without altering the angles of the grips and provides means for connecting the bandle-bar to the post extension that will be absolutely firm and rigid.

In the construction shown it will be observed that the stem is inclined at the usual angle of the steering-heads of bicycles and that the axes of the clamping-bolt G and the handle-bar grips are substantially at right angles to the axis of the stem. With the stem inclined substantially as shown the grips when at right angles thereto will stand in their most acceptable positions relatively to the rider. There is, however, no necessary angular relation between the grips and the stem that would rule in all cases, for the inclination of the stem may vary to any desired extent, while the inclination of the grips is fixed in all cases to the most desirable positions for the rider. It is essential, however, for the purpose of a reversible bar that the axis of the clamping-bolt should be either parallel with or at a right angle to the axes of the grips.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is 1. In a bicycle handle-bar reversible both end for end and by rotation the combination of the stem or post with a side recess to receive the handle-bar, a tapped hole extending into the post from said recess, a handlebar with its arms curving outwardly and rearwardly and provided with inclined grips or handles which lie in a plane different from that of the centerof the bar, a transverse aperture through the axial center of the handle-bar midway of its length the axis of which coincides substantially with the inclination of the grips or handles and a screw-bolt which passes completely through said aperture and into the tapped hole in the stem to clamp the bar to its seat substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. In a bicycle handle-bar the combination of the stem or post, an arm extending forwardly from the 10p of the post and transversely recessed at its extremity to receive the handle-bar, a tapped hole extending into the arm from the bottom of the recess, a handlebar with its arms curving outwardly and rearwardly and provided with inclined grips or handles which lie in a plane different from that of the center of the bar, a transverse aperture through the axial center of the handle-bar the axis of which coincides substantially with the inclination of the grips or handles, said bar at this point having recesses with flat bottoms at right angle to the length of said aperture, a screw-bolt which passes through said aperture and into the tapped hole in the arm to clamp the bar to its seat, and a washer under the head of said bolt fitting into the outer recess and directly against the body of the handle-bar, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN WV. LEAVITT.

Witnesses;

HARRISON P. SMITH, WILLIAM F. ToWNLEY. 

